To Get Her Redux
by Evs
Summary: New format and some changes. Tsukasa goes to the park and meets someone "New."


To Get Her  
By Evs  
  
Here's the revised addition of "To Get Her," with a now readable format. Not much to say besides that I decided to write this one shot about Tsukasa, who is a guy in this, and Mimiru, cause there's way to much S/T and not enough M/T. Enjoy.  
  
Tsukasa's P O V  
  
"Ugh," I wake from a dream, and rub my eyes. I look down at my watch, I've been napping on this park bench, like a bum, for almost forty minutes. Ever since I got out of the World, I've felt tired more and more. Where is She, I wonder.  
  
I've been sitting on this bench for a hour, well almost two if you want to count the nap, for a girl I've technically never met. I mean I know Her and stuff, it's just that I've never seen Her face to face.  
  
Over in the distance two birds fight over a piece of bread. The one pecks and pecks at the other with the big piece. The one with the bread gives it up, and begins to bob away. The pecking one looks at its spoils, then back at the other bird, he flies over to the other bird and gives back the bread. There's a moment of bird talk, I wonder if they really say anything, they split the piece and fly away with each other. I watch them as they dance in the sky, flying in chris-crossing patterns, until they ascend into the sky and fly away to the sky-scrappers near by.  
  
My gaze drifts from the sky back to the earth. It's autumn now, they leaves burn with colors as unique as the people. An old couple, bundled for the cold, walk hand in hand through the scene, taking every thing in, occasionally stealing glances at each other. A young jogger, possibly in her mid twenties, runs past them, red face, gasping for every breath as she struggles to go on. I see two little kids running with each other, dancing in the leaves, full of joy and laughter. I look to my left at a young man about my age, probably a little older, with spiked green hair, a leather coat, and cigarette in his mouth as he lies on a rock staring at the blue sky.  
  
Then my eyes catch her. She's tall, dark with short beautiful brown hair, she wears a dark jacket and scarf. Her breath billows from her body elegantly and gracefully in the cold light. She walks with head down, kicking up leaves as she walks ever closer. She moves over to me and sits down on the opposite side of my bench. I stare at her, as she rests her elbows to her knees and her chin to her hands and pouts at her surroundings. I gaze at her and marvel at her completion, her skin was even richer closer up. It was a light brown, a little lighter than her hair. It was so much darker than mine, which was pale from months in the hospital. As for the rest of me, well think of a quite, lanky, dark hair kid. I continue to gaze at her when she notices.  
  
She looks to me, "What are you starring at?" she snaps, annoyed.  
  
I wake back to reality as she stares back at me. "Umm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry." I look at her eyes, which are the darkest green I've ever seen.  
  
"It's ok," she relaxes a little, "It's not you, it's me, I'm just." She trails off and looks back at the ground.  
  
For a moment I question whether or not to ask about her troubles. If a stranger started to pry into my life, I know I'd be startled and annoyed, but there's something about her.  
  
"Umm, if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong," I ask.  
  
"Well, I was suppose to meet this guy, but I don't remember where we were suppose to hook up. Plus I'm already late, and I sort of haven't seen Him in, well forever, you could say." She says, and turns to me, "But why am I telling you all this, I don't even know you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm Shin," I say my real name, which almost gets caught in my throat. It's been a while since I've used it, I was use to Tsukasa, but that wasn't me any more. I extend my hand towards her.  
  
"Lola," says the girl as she grabs my hand and shakes. Her skin is soft and smooth, she lifts her self over to the empty space between us.  
  
"That's an unusual name," I say, then add quickly "but in a cool way."  
  
"Thanks," says Lola with a smile. "My mom was from Argentina."  
  
"Really," well that explains her looks and the name. "So are you like, in Tokyo on vacation or something?"  
  
"Oh no, I live like two blocks over there," she says pointing eastward.  
  
"Wow, I live three blocks that way," I say pointing westward.  
  
"I can't believe we've never met."  
  
"Well, I've sort of been away for a while." I trail off, I don't want to explain to her, that for the past six months I've been trapped in a game, not knowing who I really was. "So, ummm, how does an Argentinean, end up in Japan?" I hurriedly say trying to get her off the topic of me.  
  
"That's a stupid question."  
  
A moment of awkward silence passes, I curse myself.  
  
"Ha, ha," laughs Lola, "I'm just messing with you."  
  
I relax and begin to laugh with her for a few moments, she continues.  
  
"Well, when my mom was about my age, she transferred to Tokyo, to study the language and shit. But of course she meets my dad, who was studying Spanish at the same time, and so she stays, and bam, here I am." We laugh again at the joke. "So what about your parents?"  
  
"They're dead."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
"Nah, I never knew my mother and my dad, I guess you could say he's alive, but we hate each other, and besides, he's in prison."  
  
"So who do you live with?" she ask, sounding concerned.  
  
"With my guardian, he's this writer guy."  
  
"That sounds cool, what's he write?"  
  
"Umm, I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but he writes Anime," I say meekly.  
  
"Dude, that's so cool!" she proclaims excitingly.  
  
"What you're into Anime too?"  
  
"I love Anime, what's he worked on?"  
  
"He did a few episodes for 'Escaflowne,' and 'Cowboy BeBop.'  
  
"Those are my favorites!"  
  
For a while we talk about Anime, films, and other things like that. The sun begins to set and we're pretty much alone.  
  
"So," she ask, "what are you doing in the park any way?"  
  
"I'm actually waiting on someone too."  
  
"Who?" ask Lola.  
  
"Someone very dear to me," I say. I suddenly I realize I had forgotten all about Her, about this being the day we meet. "I feel so guilty, about forgetting Her," I add quietly, almost to myself.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she says, "Here you are listening to me talk and talk about stupid shit while you could be with your friend right now."  
  
"No, it's my fault, if I hadn't stop you maybe we could have both met our someone, I'm such an idiot."  
  
"Hey," she says gazing back into my eyes, "you're not an idiot, hell you're probably the most interesting person I've met in a long while."  
  
"Thanks, I don't think any one has ever said that to me."  
  
She blushes and smiles warmly.  
  
"So, who was this guy you were suppose to meet?" I ask.  
  
"He's this friend of mine, I met about six months ago," she looks up at the sky recalling Him. "At first we didn't like each other, but we kept running into each other, so we ended up getting really close."  
  
"Sounds familiar," I add.  
  
"So how's about you, what's your friend like?"  
  
"Well, She's. I'm sorry I'm at lost of words."  
  
"What, a sudden case of amnesia?"  
  
"Hey don't joke about that, I had that once."  
  
"Oh, sorry, but as you were saying."  
  
"They're aren't words for someone like Her. She's kind and patient, but She's so strong at the same time. I remember when I first met Her, I thought She was some loud mouth tomboy, She probably thought I was some pansy. But the more we got to know each other, the more we got to like one another." I pause and think about Her, Her laugh, Her smile, and just the way She is. "It was like, when I was with Her, the world couldn't touch us, like all my problems were gone. It felt, like I was floating, you know that feeling, when you're around someone, and you just feel good?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah I do," she says looking back at the sky.  
  
We sat there together in the dark under the lamp. It reminded me of the times when I was with Her, back in the World, watching the sun go down.  
  
"What were you gonna do when you met Her?" ask Lola.  
  
"Well, we were gonna go shopping at the Shimakita district."  
  
"Oh, I love that area, I was gonna go down there with my friend too."  
  
"Yeah, then I was gonna surprise Her with these," I pull out two tickets and show Lola them.  
  
"Holy shit!" she cries almost falling out of the bench. "This is for tonight's 'Taking Back Sunday,' and 'Thursday,' One Night Only Show in Tokyo! How the fuck did you get these!?"  
  
"Let's just say I know important people," I say with a smile, thinking back to that 'favor,' Helba did for me.  
  
"So long have you listened to them?" she says as she hands back the tickets.  
  
"Oh, since three summers ago. It was actually by listening to the songs that I learned English."  
  
"That's awesome, you're like the first person I've met who listens to them besides my friend and me."  
  
"Yeah, I got the tickets cause, one day my friend was singing 'Ghost Man on Third,' by 'Taking Back Sunday,' so I thought this would be a nice surprise."  
  
"So who you gonna go with now?"  
  
"I think I'm just gonna sell them," I say solemnly.  
  
"Really, why don't you just go by yourself?"  
  
"It wouldn't feel right, you know. I mean, why should I see it and She miss out just cause I couldn't find Her."  
  
"Too bad your friend didn't make it," she adds "If I was Her I would have loved to go."  
  
I stare at her and back at my tickets. "Here," I say handing her the tickets again, "this way, if you find your friend, you two can have a good time."  
  
She looks at the tickets, and back at me. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah, take them."  
  
She takes the tickets gently from my hands and stuffs them in her pockets. There's some silence, then I begin to wonder again.  
  
"So what about your buddy, what's He like?" I ask.  
  
There's a shift in Lola's attitude as I ask this. "He's this guy I met under very odd circumstances. He sometimes doesn't like to be bothered and hides Himself to be alone, but every time I look into His eyes, I see His loneliness, His pain, and I want to help Him. Just to show Him it's okay to have friends and that there're better things than just locking yourself away from everyone." She holds back for a moment lost in thought about Him. "I know He's shy, and that He's had a rough past, but He's got such a kind heart. I've never met anyone like Him. I just want to be there for Him, just so He's not alone anymore, so that I'm not alone anymore." She sniffs a little, holding back tears.  
  
I've felt that way before, not wanting to be around anyone out of fear of ridicule. I took refuge in my solitude, but that was before Her, before She showed me friendship, before I knew Her love.  
  
"I thought," she continues between snobs, "if I could be there for Him, we could be together." She puts her hands over her eyes and turns from me.  
  
I put my arm around her, her hands are still in her eyes. "He's lucky to have you as a friend, I wish mine could say the same."  
  
I started to hate myself again. I had abandoned my one true friend, just like every one else had done to me. She must feel like I did, alone, scared, and angry at the world that wouldn't accept me.  
  
I didn't notice this, but Lola stopped crying and gazed back at me. "Your friend, She's luckier than anyone else in the world, to know you."  
  
"If I really was Her friend, I would be with Her, not losing Her like this."  
  
"No, the way you talk about Her, you really care about Her, like I care for Him." A tear fell down her cheek. "It's my friend who isn't lucky, He probably hates me now, He thinks I've left Him for someone else, God why couldn't I just find Him." She begins to cry again.  
  
"Please, don't cry," I say as I lift her face gently with my hand. "Someone as beautiful and compassionate as you, shouldn't cry."  
  
She smiles at me and embraces me, wrapping her arms around my body. I hold her tight, I smell the scent of her hair, it was heaven sent.  
  
"What's Her name?" ask Lola.  
  
"I don't know Her real name," I whisper, "but Her nickname was Mimiru."  
  
Lola moves Her face from my chest to gaze into my eyes. "Tsukasa?"  
  
I look into Her eyes, those jade green eyes, She looks back at me, and we're silent.  
  
"Is it really you?" I ask hoping against hope it's really Her.  
  
"Yes, it's me," tears of quiet joy and relief erupt from both of us and we hold each other. For the first time in a long while, I didn't feel alone anymore, like I was weightless.  
  
We hold each and glide forward for the kiss. Her lips are soft and She tastes of vanilla. We pull away and look back at each other. Lola slowly rises, still holding my hand.  
  
"Come on," She says as I look at Her dumb struck. "Come on, or we'll miss the show," She says as She playfully tugs at my hand.  
  
"Oh, yeah," I rise to meet Her, hand in hand we walk together through the cold night.  
  
We continue to walk, in the comfort of each other's company. Just before we exit, Lola stops.  
  
"You know," She says, "I like this a lot more than the game."  
  
"Yeah me too," I say realizing in all the time we spent together in the World, She never felt what I felt, neither the pain nor the warmth. We look at each other, lost in each other's eyes.  
  
"Mim." I stop myself, "I mean Lola, I just wanted to tell you I lov."  
  
"Shh." She says as she places her finger gently on my lips. "I know, and I do too."  
  
I remember every moment we spent together as we walk out of the park. The early days when we wanted nothing to do with each other, the days when She protected me from the World, but I mostly think of this day. The day we met each other, for the second time, in the right way. When we were lost in a sea of each other, when fate tore us apart, only to bring us together, like it always did. I squeeze Her hand, She squeezes back, reminding me She's real. We walk out hand in hand, into a New World. Not alone, but together.  
  
Author's Note  
  
Hoped you liked it. Like I said, I needed a break from all my other worries and shit, so I wrote this little piece rather quick. Thanks to all who read this. I wrote most of this listening to Senses Fail, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, Further Seems Forever, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Abandoned Pools, all great bands in their own way. And to all the others who read ".Hack// Jinx and Looper," I'm still writing it, but its gonna take a while. Also, I'm considering continuing this story, but that's a big maybe. 


End file.
